ABOUT VERSELL SMITH JR.:
Universally celebrated for his charismatic leadership, Versell Smith, Jr. brings more than two decades of cross-sector expertise to the nonprofit landscape. From launching tech startups to guiding healthcare, housing and cultural institutions, Versell is defined by his ability to lead with vision, empathy, and strategic precision.
Most recently, as Chief Strategy Officer at Chicago House and Executive Director for the Corner Health Center, Versell leveraged his deep background in fund development and strategic planning to stabilize organizations and champion the communities they serve. His leadership journey is unique: after spending a decade as the Managing Partner of a global litigation technology firm he founded in Los Angeles, he returned to his roots in Ann Arbor, pivoting his corporate success into deep-impact philanthropy.
Versell is equally recognized for his profound contributions to the cultural sector. A University of Michigan School of Music alumnus and accomplished lyric-leggiero tenor, he spent years performing classical and baroque repertoire. Today, he channels that passion into advocacy, having served as Board Chair for the Michigan Humanities Council (NEH), Program Chair of UMS, Treasurer of School Community Health Alliance of Michigan, Trustee for AAACF African American Endowment Fund and currently serving on the Trinity Health and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra boards. Throughout his extensive board service, Versell has been a critical architect of DEI initiatives, driving policy revision, equitable grantmaking, and modernizing classical arts to reflect and engage diverse modern audiences.
RESOURCES:
Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC)
TRANSCRIPTION:
Decky Alexander: This is 89.1 WEMU, and welcome to our weekly conversation on equity and opportunity in our county and in our community. I'm your host, Decky Alexander, and I'm honored still and always to welcome you to this week's edition of Washtenaw United. Several years ago in Ypsilanti, I attended a ribbon cutting of a new affordable housing community. There were the usual luminaries and politicos, but there were also people whose vocation was to ensure that the people, regardless of their story or journey, had shelter. This one speaker, who wasn't from here, but was instrumental in helping to finance this community, shared a story about a doctor friend of his who said to him if he only had the ability to write one prescription, just one, he would write it for shelter, for housing, because all the other needs, food and mental health and medical and school, are so much easier to meet if someone has a place to land and to live today. We are going to talk with the legendary, charismatic community trailblazer, Versell Smith Jr, the Chief Development Officer of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, on how the shelter is the most profound of life necessities and one that is in short supply. So, Versell, welcome to the show!
Versell Smith Jr.: Thank you, Decky! It's great to speak with you again!
Decky Alexander: Oh, it's such an honor! And so, when I want to say when I think of you, I think if someone who transforms nonprofits like the Corner Health Center and philanthropic entities like the Michigan Humanities Council and UMS. But I always see it as wearing like a first stole or an ascot. That's how I see you in my head all the time.
Versell Smith Jr.: Well, I have both, though!
Decky Alexander: I bet! That is not surprising. I think listeners need to know that. And it is true that the Washtenaw County non-profit world lights up when you walk into its doors.
Versell Smith Jr.: Oh, you're so kind!
Decky Alexander: Oh, it's true! And I know there's a lot to dig in, Versell, about the county and urgency around shelter, but I want to take just a couple moments to shine a little light on you and your recent journey back to Washtenaw County from Chicago. So, what brought you back and why the Shelter Association?
Versell Smith Jr.: I've been living in Chicago and working there in the housing and healthcare, and Nicole Adelman, with whom I'd worked before at the Corner Health Center and someone for whom I have a great deal of respect, had reached out to me and shared with me the opportunity at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. And through a series of conversations, I decided to engage with them regarding this opportunity. I'm a native Ann Arborite, and I have many family members who are still in Ann Arbor. The offer came at the same time that there were some personal issues that I was dealing with here in Ann arbor. And I thought, "Wow!" How nice it would be to be able to return to Ann Arbor, support family, and support my friend and colleague Nicole, the Shelter Association, and also really support my beloved Washtenaw County/Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti community, a place where I have deep roots and a place where, hopefully, I've probably made some degree of impact in the nonprofit space.
Decky Alexander: And you could not have come in a more urgent time, probably in our county, as regards to shelter. And there's a really stark reality facing our county community this winter. And there is a, correct me if I'm wrong, 118% increase in homelessness in Washtenaw County since 2022. And there were 461 people experiencing homelessness in the county on a single night. Question is, historically, the Delonis Center has never turned away anyone during winter during the overflow. But due to this official capacity and some fire code regulations, overflow beds are dropping to around 52 mats. And that means about 100 people are going to be turned away. How is the Shelter Association working to bridge that gap and can it?
Versell Smith Jr.: When we think about the homeless population, the unhoused population, this past year, our commitment translated into real outcomes and between July 1, 2025 and June 7, 2026, we served 1,065 individuals across our programs, and we helped about 169 people move into permanent housing. So, recently, when we learned about the capacity issue, we discovered that there would be a reduction in our capacity at the Delonis Center, which combined with sharply rising demand for safe emergency shelter, means that we are navigating conditions unlike anything we've ever experienced before. So, we immediately engaged with our board. We immediately engaged some of our primary funders, the county and the Board of Commissioners, and we made them aware of what the upcoming need was and how, for the first time, we would be you're forced to turn people away. I'm happy to say that we are at the place where they have committed to funding, so that we could actually lease hotel space, so that would be able to serve those 100 people that we have. Now, this is a temporary solution, but our hope is that they will pay for a block of hotel rooms, which we would staff and be able serve those hundred people. For many, many, years, we had been serving over capacity on our main floor and our second floor. And so, we believe that if there's a person that come through our doors, we're absolutely committed to serving them.
Decky Alexander: You are listening to Washtenaw United on 89.1 WEMU. I'm Decky Alexander. Today, we are having a conversation with Versell Smith Jr., the Chief Development Officer of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, whose mission is to end homelessness one person at a time. As long as I lived here in the county, well, you've been here a long time and I've been her for most of my adult life, there's always been a want to provide some type of shelter on the east side of the county. And last year, I think you were able to launch the shelter east of Trinity. Can you talk about some of these less temporary ideas for shelters, whether it's Shelter East and the vision for that, or other kinds of ideas, philanthropic and otherwise?
Versell Smith Jr.: Yes. So, Trinity Systems, they are one of our primary partners in one of our programs, as is Michigan Medicine, and we are in discussion with both entities to launch sort of a shelter east. It has not yet been realized yet. We are still working on the details of that, but that would allow us to house our recuperative care program there. And I can say a little bit more about that later. But as we recognize the need on the eastern part of the county, specifically within Ypsilanti, that we are actively engaged in long-term planning, so that we can open that. We're also speaking to St. Luke's Church, which is located on Huron Street across the street from the Corner, to offer warming center operations there. So, we are actively engaged with these two huge, huge efforts to address not only the population on the eastern part of the county, but to be able to expand our services as well.
Decky Alexander: So, Versell, in Washtenaw County, there's a stark racial disparity. Black residents are significantly overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness and being unhoused, due to systematic inequalities like redlining or wage gaps and housing access. And as an African-American leader and advocate who brings, and I will say, an incredible authenticity and lived experience to fundraising, how do you keep sort of racial justice at the center of your work without it feeling extractive or exploitive?
Versell Smith Jr.: Yeah. Well, thank you for that question. I'm always honored to speak about social justice and racial justice. And as I think about Washtenaw County, I recognize that the homeless population in Washtenaw County is disproportionately composed of Black residents. And that's despite Black individuals being a minority in the total county population. Homelessness and the disparities that are driven by systemic inequities and not agency practices are something that we really, really need to adjust. So, the disproportionate number of Black individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County, that reflects a larger issue. And the way I see it, it's more akin to unequal access to housing, redlining, wage gaps, incarceration, generational barriers, etc. So, that's not discrimination in shelter services, but really the systemic issues. As an African-American leader, as someone who has a profound respect and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, this is something that's really dear to me, and it's something that I'm committed to addressing.
Decky Alexander: Versell, you said that fundraising isn't just about dollars, it's about raising hope. So, for listeners tuning in today on 89.1 WEMU, who would want to help and ensure that no one is left out in the cold this winter, what is the prescription or a single most pressing thing that they, we, I can do today?
Versell Smith Jr.: Well, I mean, we're always in need of greater support. And also, as we face this winter, we all know how brutal last winter was. And with our decreased capacity, there'll be even a greater need. And so, we're so grateful to receive the support from the county. But this is an area where individuals can help. We will be doing clothing drives. We will doing personal items drive. As we get a little closer, we have Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week that we will be advertising and whatnot. But I think you know when we think about the work that needs to be done at the shelter, I mean fundraising plays such an incredible role in our ability to support the community. So, writing out a check contacting us or even reaching out to speak with me or with Nicole or any of my other development staff, we're happy to speak with anyone about the programs that we have and that we're running and what our need is for increased funding.
Decky Alexander: This was the always inspirational Versell Smith, Jr., Chief Development Officer at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, an organization which believes that every person who walks through their door deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and genuine compassion and not because of what they have or what they have lost, but simply because of who they are. To learn more about the Shelter Association and Versell, swing over to our website at WEMU.org. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and you can hear it right here every Monday. I'm Decky Alexander, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU, Ypsilanti.
UWSEM STATEMENT:
We are also navigating a shifting federal policy landscape. HUD's FY 2026 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity signals a meaningful departure from the Housing First framework, while funding for Emergency Solutions Grants, rapid rehousing programs, and Housing Choice Vouchers remains under pressure. In response, we are working closely with community partners, diversifying revenue sources, and strengthening the systems that allow us to remain responsive to community needs. The generosity of foundations like the Duffy and Vaughn Foundations allows us to remain steady during times of change and continue showing up for those who rely on us. Their support helps ensure that every person who turns to us for help is met with dignity, compassion, and a pathway toward housing stability.
Looking ahead to 2027, we are not standing still.
The Delonis Center capacity for winter will be cut to approximately 52 mats for winter overflow. We are estimating across the winter on average this is going to lead us to turn approximately 100 people away. We're working closely with our partners and the County to hopefully pay for a block of hotel rooms which we would staff (if they fund us).
We told staff today and they were devastated. We did our best to reassure them with our plans we're working on now with the County. We are doing our best to mitigate this issue.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
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